Five Social Media Trends to Watch: Facebook Spaces, Chatbots, Gen Z, and More

In the past year, we have witnessed how significant social media is in our lives as well as in the news. The president of the United States communicated his political beliefs in 140 characters or fewer. Facebook is taking over in the advertising space and has stripped down Snapchat’s market share by adding stories to Instagram. With September coming to a close, we are looking forward to what social media trends will emerge as 2018 approaches. To help, Brand Iron has put together 5 social media trends to watch while you prepare for the upcoming year.

1. Facebook… So Much To Watch Out For

Facebook has transformed social media time and time again. This year we saw how live streaming has added a new element to social media. Now Facebook is working on a project called Spaces that is taking that concept to a whole new level. Spaces allows you to connect with your social network through virtual reality. Available via the Oculus Rift, you will soon be able to control a virtual representation of yourself, interacting and sharing memories with your friends in a new space. Check out this video for more info!

2. Content Personalization

Everyday we are bombarded by content. People have acquired skills to screen and filter the content to narrow down the specific pieces that will bring them value. Technology and automation has made it possible to create personalized content based on what a person has clicked on in the past. By setting rules and triggers, you can automate your marketing to respond with content that actually matters to your audience. Personalization will differentiate your brand and message from the sea of content.

3. Chatbots Will Become More and More Common

Artificial intelligence in the form of chatbots can communicate through voice or text. Chatbots are guided and powered by a set of rules to create conversation structure that is programmed into their code. They’re convincing enough to fool all but the most astute observers and can offer a personal-feeling experience to numerous people. They’re starting to make their appearance in the realm of customer support with striking advantages. To start, they make support accessible to more people at once while shortening wait times. They also provide consistent answers about company services to a host of frequently asked questions.

4. Focus on Generation Z

Move over Millennials, Generation Z is taking the stage. They’re becoming more influential as the importance of social media swells. Generation Z grew up fully immersed with social media and are quite savvy. Their interests and aptitude are driving the social media market. Brands who lack a presence on platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and Facebook may be missing out on a huge group of potential leads.

5. Keep an eye on Twitter

Recently Twitter has fallen behind other platforms and has been all over the news for its lackluster ability to keep up with trends. They have even lost ground to Amazon who now has the ability to stream NFL games. We believe that in the next year Twitter will be making some big changes to reinvigorate their popularity.

Social media platforms allow you to track your engagement with your audience. This means a better understanding of what resonates with them and the opportunity to improve your methods moving forward. Strengthening your company’s social media strategy will be important for your brand moving forward into the upcoming year. Brand Iron can help prepare your brand and strategy for these upcoming trends. Call 303-534-1901 or visit brandiron.net for more information.